Pneumatic track-sander for locomotives.



" No, 6s4,||5. Patened nec. I8, |900.

J. B. BARNES. PNEUMATIC TRACK SANDER FOR LDCUMUTIVES.

(Application led Aug. 9, 1900.) No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

' fam/IWW Patented Dec. I8; i900.

d. BQ BARNES. PNEUHTC TRACK SANDER EUR LOGOMOTIVES (Application led Aug. 9, 1900.) (Nolodal.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNTTED STATES JOSHUA BARTLETT BARNES,

PATENT Finca..

OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC TRACK-SANDER FOR LOCONIOTIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,115, dated December 18, 1900.

Application filed August 9, 1900. Serial No. 26,410- NO model-l To a/Z whom, if nca/y concern:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA BARTLETT BARNES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springield, Sangamon county, Illinois, have invented 'certain Improvements in Pneumatic Track-Sanders for Locom otives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of sanding devices for locomotives in which a blast of air is used for forcing the sand from the sand-box through snitable'pipes onto the rail in advance of a driving-wheel, one object of my invention being to dispense with the multiplicity of pipes, joints, traps, and fittings ordinarily used and to provide a device which is of simple construction and comprises but few parts which can bereadily fitted to the present construction of sand-box and delivery-pipe, a further object being to provide for the feeding of the sand to the rail by gravity if from any canse the air-blast attachment should be inoperative, and a still further object being to utilize the air-blast for cleaning out the feed-ports of the sander should the latter become'obstructed from any cause. These objects I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of an ordinary locomotive sand-box provided with a pneumatic sanding device constructed iu accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on the line a a, Fig. 1.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the conical base-section of an ordinary locomotive sand-box is represented at 1 and part of the cylindrical casing of the box at 2, said casing having the usual inclined sand-discharge passages',which communicate at their lower ends with the ordinary sand-delivery pipes, the upper end of each passage 3 being controlled by a swinging valve 4, mounted upon a vertical shaft 5, intended to be operated by the ordinary lever mechanism from the cab, so as to permit or cut off the flow of sand from the sand-box through the discharge-passage 3. All of these parts are of ordinary construction, with the exception of the valve 4, which has a segmental slot 6 extending inwardly from one edge.

Screwed into the bottom casting 1 of the sand-box adjacent to the upper end of the passage 3 are a pair of studs 7, and between collars 8 and nuts 9 on these studs is rigidly secured the outer portion of a plate 10, the inner end of whichis expanded, so as to form a conical hopper 1l, with a central passage 12 and inclined passages 13 communicating therewith and extending to the top of the hopper, the central passage 12 forming a continuation of the inclined passage 3 of the sand-box.

Extending upwardly from the hopper 11 is a tubular casing 14, threaded internally for the reception of a threaded enlargement 15 upon a blast-nozzle 16, the latter projecting downwardly through the central passage 12 of the hopper almost to the lower end of the same, the extent of such projection being limited by contact of a collar 17 on the stem of the nozzle with the outer end of the casing 14: of the hopper, as shown in Fig. 3. The airblast pipe 18 is secured to the outer end of the nozzle-stein by an ordinary coupling-nut 19, and the blast-pipes of the right and left hand Sanders are coupled to a Y union 20, the single stem of which passes through an opening in the casing 2 of the sand-box and is coupled to the single air-blast pipe 21,

which is intended to be carried back to the cab of the engine and to be there provided with a suitable regulating-valve under control of the engineer.

The valve 4t can move freely between the upper surface of the base 1 of the sand-box and the end face of the projecting plate 10, and when said valve is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the flow of sand through the passage 3 is cut off. By moving the valve, however, so as to bring its segmental slot 6 into register with the upper end of the passage 3 flow of sand is permitted, the sand entering the radiating passages 13 of the hopper and flowing down through the same and through the central passage 12 of the hopper around the air-blast nozzle 16. If the flow of sand by gravity is not sufficient, air is supplied to the nozzle 16 and the jet from the same induces a rapid flow of sand through the passages of the hopper and down through the dischargepassage 3 and delivery-pipes of the sander, the fact that the flow of sand follows what is practically a straight course tending to pre- IOO vent those obstructions which someti mcs arise when the sand is compelled to follow a circuitous course in its flow from the sand-box to the rail. If, however, there should be any obstruction of the passages of the hopper ll by pebbles or other foreign matters, these can be readily discharged by a backward flow of air through the hopper, such backward flow being brought about by permitting a discharge of air from the nozzle 16 while the valve 4 is closed.

The relation of the lower or delivery end of the nozzle 16 to the lower end of the central passage of the hopper may be varied by insertin g washers of any desired degree of thickness between the collar 17 on the nozzle-stem and the upper end of the-casing 14 of the hopper.

The parts of my improved sanding device are few and simple in construction and canY be applied either to the right-hand or lefthand side of the sand-box, and no alteration of the latte;` is required for the reception of the parts, the fitting of the attachment simply necessitating the formation of a few threaded openings in the base of the sandbox and an opening in the cylindrical casing for the passage of the single branch of the Y union 20. In its cheapness, simplicity, and readiness of application to existing structures my improved sanding attachment therefore differs from other attachments with which I am familiar.

By simply duplicating the devices at each side of the sand-box the apparatus is available for applying sand to both the front and back driving-wheels on each side of the engine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination of the base of a locomotive sand-box and a plate supported above said base and having a sandl`eed hopper with blast-nozzle, and a swinging valve movable between the said projecting plate and base of the sand-box, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the base of the sandbox having an inclined sand-discharge passage therein, a plate supported above said base and having a sand-feed hopper with opening in line with the inclined sand-passage of the base, an air-nozzle in said opening, and a swinging valve movable between the plate and the base of the sand-box, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the base ofthe sandbox, the plate supported above the same and havinga sand-feed hopper, with an air-jet nozzle therein, anda swinging valve movable between said plate and the base of the sand-box and having a segmental slot therein, substantially as specified.

4:. The combination in a pneumatic attachment for locomotive sand-boxes, of a plate having a sand-feed hopper and projecting internally-threaded casing with an air-nozzle having a stem with threaded portion adapted to said internally-threaded projection of the hopper, substantially as specified.

5. The combination in a pneumatic attachment for locomotive sand-boxes, of a plate having a sand-feed hopper and projecting internally-threaded casing and an air-nozzle having a threaded stein adapted to said i11- ternally-threaded casing, and a flange or collar for bearing against the outer end of said casing, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof l have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSHUA BARTLETT BARNES.

Witnesses:

A. B. MARS, E. R. J EFFERY. 

